Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

Take a deep breath — can you smell the incense? That sweet, smoky fragrance has been drifting through this neighbourhood since 1645 lah. Welcome to Cheng Hoon Teng, the Temple of the Green Cloud, and the oldest functioning Chinese temple in all of Malaysia. This temple sits on Jalan Tokong — Temple Street — which is also known as Harmony Street, and you'll see why in a moment. Cheng Hoon Teng was founded by the Chinese Kapitan Tay Kie Ki in 1645, during the early years of Dutch rule. The Chinese community in Malacca was already well-established by then — Chinese traders had been coming to these shores since the time of Admiral Zheng He in the early 1400s. They needed a spiritual home, and this temple became exactly that. The name Cheng Hoon Teng means Temple of the Green Cloud, and it practises all three of China's great philosophical traditions — Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism — under one roof. The main deity is Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, and her serene statue presides over the main prayer hall. But you'll also find altars to Mazu, the sea goddess who protects sailors, and to Confucius, the great sage. Now, the...